GTA VI: 6 Best Features That Have Already Been Confirmed For Gaming’s Most Anticipated Sequel
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Grand Theft Auto 6 may be the most highly anticipated game of the decade, if not longer. The next entry in the venerable action series has been in the works for what feels like an eternity, with the release date a mystery for years. Leaks and rumors have plagued the game’s development, but kept fans interested and eager for any news they can find about what to expect. Now, with a release date finally set for May 26, 2026, gamers can expect more information to trickle out in the coming months.
Still, at present, there’s far more that players don’t know about the sequel. Many of the details surrounding the story and gameplay are being kept under wraps, despite some prominent leaks. Some features have been confirmed, however, and many of these are increasing excitement among fans. While gamers don’t have too much to go on, developer Rockstar Games has made a few big announcements and released trailers that offer some hints about what’s to come. Further, some educated guesses can be made about GTA 6 based on the previous entries in the series. This leaves fans with a handful of known features that promise big things for the long-awaited sequel.
6 GTA 6 Returns to Vice City
Modern Florida Tropes Will Be a Source of Humor
Arguably, the biggest news about Grand Theft Auto 6 so far is the confirmation of its setting. The new game will give players a chance to return to Vice City after more than two decades away. Modeled after Miami, Florida, the city was introduced in 2002’s GTA: Vice City, which took place in the 1980s. The earlier entry in the series took inspiration from films like Scarface and shows like Miami Vice, emphasizing the music and aesthetics of the ’80s and poking fun at the culture of the time. For GTA 6, Rockstar is jumping into the present, presenting Vice City, and the larger fictional state of Leonida, as they are in the 2020s.

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The trailers have shown a clear attempt to draw humor from jokes about Florida and the classic “Florida man” memes. Trailer parks, alligators, and beaches are highlighted, but Rockstar has indicated that the map will be much larger than last time around. Players will get to see suburbs, city centers, and parks. They’ll even get to leave the city for trips to rural areas and like swamps and wetlands. Some residents of the Sunshine State may be offended by some of the portrayals, but GTA 6 promises to make its version of Miami, Florida as ridiculous and dangerous as possible. While Vice City isn’t precisely new in the series, jumping forward four decades in time and expanding the map should make it feel truly original.
5 GTA 6 Will Include a Female Protagonist
This Will Be a First for the Series

Grand Theft Auto 5 was the first entry in the series to feature multiple, playable protagonists. Where each previous entry followed one main character, the fifth mainline entry let fans jump between former bank robber Michael De Santa, gangster Franklin Clinton, and psychopathic career criminal Trevor Philips. Now, GTA 6 is set to continue the trend of multiple protagonists but is shaking things up a little. This time, there will be two playable characters instead of three, and, for the first time in the history of the franchise, there will be a woman protagonist. Lucia Caminos, fresh out of prison, will be one of the game’s lead characters, along with her boyfriend, Jason Duval.

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As with the last entry in the series, it looks like players will be able to jump back and forth between the leads, seeing the world through both Lucia and Jason’s eyes and focusing on whichever character they prefer. Both will have their own unique story, however, and play an important role in the plot. Lucia will be coming home after serving time in prison for crimes she committed while trying to help her family, and she will be reuniting with Jason, an Army veteran and former drug runner. It looks like the pair will be caught up in an attempted bank robbery that will draw them into a deeper criminal underworld. From there, only Rockstar knows just how their story will unfold.
4 NPC AI is Being Updated
Getting Away With Crimes Will Be Much Harder

Every entry in the Grand Theft Auto series has made improvements to the AI, making NPCs more realistic and making combat encounters more difficult. GTA 6 will be building on this history and dramatically advancing the technology the series is built upon. Random characters on the street will be exhibiting a more diverse range of behaviors and reacting more naturally to what the player does in their presence. They will also respond better to changes in their environment, making for a generally more realistic city. Much of the effort at improving AI, however, is being directed at improving law enforcement mechanics, making the police better at their jobs, but also giving players new ways to evade them.

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NPCs will now give descriptions of the player to the cops when they see a crime committed, meaning a change of outfit or ditching a vehicle will help in escaping. On the other hand, CCTV cameras will serve as a new tool for the police, making it far more challenging to simply slip into an alley and hide. Further, police patrols will have more complex routines, and players may even encounter staged ambushes that are designed to trap them.
These elements, combined with improved graphics and a larger map, are sure to make Vice City and Leonida feel more real and help gamers truly immerse themselves in the action of the world. Mostly law-abiding players need not panic, however. Another anticipated improvement is the ability of the police to distinguish between different crimes, treating more serious offenses harshly and showing less urgency in pursuing petty criminals.
3 Customization Is Being Improved
Car Interiors Will Be Modifiable

Grand Theft Auto 3, the game that brought the series into three dimensions, had no customization options, locking players into a single appearance of the protagonist, Claude, throughout their playthrough. Vice City, released just a year later, gave fans the chance to change up their appearance by picking up different clothing in various stores. From there, customization expanded, becoming a bigger part of the series and increasing immersion with every subsequent entry. Now, GTA 6 is set to expand players’ options further with even more choices that extend to more aspects of the world.

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While outfits, hair, tattoos, and other aspects of character appearance are sure to see upgrades, the big new feature is customization for car interiors. Now, in addition to decking out the protagonists themselves and their vehicle exteriors in the best styles, players will be able to craft the insides of the cars where they’re likely to spend most of their time. For some players, this probably won’t be a big deal but, for true car enthusiasts, this is surely a feature to look forward to.
2 GTA 6 Features More Minigames
There Will Be More Ways to Pass the Time In Vice City

Modern open-world games are expected to provide loads of diversions and minigames for players to try out when they’re not working on the main story, and the GTA series is no exception. From pool and darts to tennis and air hockey, each game has offered something new to fill out the map and keep fans occupied. GTA 6 will apparently be adding many more into the mix, including several that fit perfectly in the sunny environment inspired by the state of Florida.

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So far, it looks like billiards will be returning, joined by kayaking, fishing, dirt bike racing, and trips to the gym. There’s speculation that other games will be added, but nothing has been confirmed yet. Still, it looks like GTA 6 may have the best list of side activities of any game in the series so far and will offer lots of opportunities to enjoy the sunshine between pulling off big heists and running from the police.
1 New Animals Will Make Appearances
The Tropical Setting Will Offer Different Flora and Fauna

Past Grand Theft Auto games mostly focused on urban environments, with a little bit of the suburbs thrown in. GTA 6, while still looking to keep much of the action in the heart of Vice City, is expanding the options for players and giving them access to rural areas and even swampland. This means there will be more opportunities to encounter wildlife, and, with Leonida being based on Florida, there will be some exciting animals. Lizards and alligators are promised to make an appearance, along with other critters for players to potentially interact with.

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Combined with the possibility of fishing or kayaking, more animals, including some deadly ones, should make for some fun trips to the wilderness. Some players may want to abandon the city entirely and try to recreate some of their favorite moments from Red Dead Redemption 2, instead.

Grand Theft Auto 6
- Released
- May 26, 2026
- Developer(s)
- Rockstar Games
- Publisher(s)
- Rockstar Games
- Engine
- Rockstar Advanced Game Engine (RAGE)
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer
- Prequel(s)
- Grand Theft Auto 5
- Franchise
- Grand Theft Auto